Would Mullen leave Mississippi State for Michigan if he's offered?

STARKVILLE, MS (WLOX) - In six seasons Dan Mullen ranks third in all-time wins at Mississippi State. He's posted a 46 and 30 record and guided the 2014 Bulldogs to 10 victories, 2 losses and a trip to the Orange Bowl on New Year's eve facing Georgia Tech.

He had Mississippi State ranked No. 1 until Alabama knocked off the Bulldogs 25-20 on November 15th and they were ranked in the top four of the polls for eight straight weeks.

Entering the Orange Bowl Mississippi State is 7th in the nation. Earlier this week Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin was quoted as saying Mississippi State was hopeful in reaching a contract extension with Mullen.

that says Mullen and UCLA's Jim Mora have become prime-time candidates for the head coaching vacancy at Michigan.

According to Football Scoop...Hackett and Michigan officials have discussed the possibility of hiring Mullen or Mora to the Board of Regents. In the website report, it says sources told them that Mullen wants to win a national championship and Michigan officials believe Mullen would have a better chance of achieving his goal if he was at Michigan instead of Mississippi State.

The drain of playing in the SEC West with the likes of Alabama, Auburn, an improving Ole Miss football team, LSU, Texas A&M and up-and-coming Arkansas...can take a toll. It's the heavyweight division in all of college football and two losses this season knocked the Bulldogs out of the College Football Playoff hunt.

Either way Mullen will see his $3 million contract expand closer to $4 million. What's the old saying "Strike while the Iron is hot"? That's exactly what Mullen's agent is doing, trying to secure a bigger financial deal for his client and himself.

I have spoken with a number of Mississippi State alumni and they have been saying all season long that they believe Mullen will remain in Starkville where he'll always have a secure well paying job. Bulldog fans want consistency and winning 8 games a season has brought respectability to Starkville.

Mullen also proved that he can build a national championship contender. That's something Michigan fans would love to see back in Ann Arbor.

Michigan still has a number of options including possible NFL coaches, but National Signing Day is fast approaching. It's the first Wednesday in February and you can bet Michigan State is taking advantage of the situation, even talking to players who are committed to Michigan.

Who is the next hottest coach? Could it be Mullen? Either way he's become a prime-time head coach and Mississippi State had better lock him up soon.